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ANNUAL REGISTER, 1813. 



server.) — " We receive from all 

 parts the most distressing accounts 

 of the effects of the late inunda- 

 tions in Hungary, Austria, Silesia, 

 and Poland. None of these re- 

 citals, however, excite more pain- 

 ful feelings than an account trans- 

 mitted from Trentsnhin. The river 

 Waag, which runs through that 

 country, was, in the beginning of 

 September, raised six feet above 

 its usual height by the great 

 rains which had fallen some days 

 preceding. The banks immedi- 

 ately gave way, and the lands were 

 inundated. A high mountain 

 which was undermined by the 

 flood, suddenly fell into the channel 

 of the river, and gave it an im- 

 petus which nothing could resist. 

 From Zailina to Szered, upwards of 

 sixty villages, with all their houses, 

 flocks, and standing crops, were 

 washed away. The calamity hav- 

 ing occurred during the day, many 

 of the inhabitants had time to save 

 themselves; but, nevertheless, more 

 than twelve hundred persons perish- 

 ed, besides many thousand cattle, 

 sheep and horses. All the bridges 

 upon the Waag were destroyed : 

 so that in particular situations, hve 

 days elapsed before assistance could 

 be given to the survivors of this 

 dreadful calamity. All the towns 

 in the neighbourhood of the Waag 

 have been damaged. At Neustadt, 

 about thirty houses were over- 

 turned. At this time one-half 

 of the extensive district of Trent- 

 schin is laid waste. 



"Letters from Belgrade mention 

 that there had beer an inundation 

 of the Danube in the neighbour- 

 hood of Widden, during the night 

 of the 14th of September. A small 

 Turkish corps of 2,000 men had 

 occupied one of the islands, and 



thrown up fortifications thereon. 

 They formed part of the force 

 which was blockading the Servian 

 fortress. In the middle of the 

 night, while buried in a profound 

 sleep, they were surprised by the 

 waters, and met with instant death. 

 Not one person escaped. Even the 

 island itself sunk and disappeared. 



" In the middle of August, the 

 Drave flooded the country in the 

 neighbourhood of Orsatch. By the 

 conjoint influence of the rains and 

 a high wind, the waters of the 

 river were raised to a tremendous 

 height. They swept away six 

 villages and the suburbs of a town. 

 In the latter, a minister of the 

 chureh, while intent upon celebrat- 

 ing divine service, was, with his 

 congregation of about 240 persons, 

 buried beneath the ruins of the 

 building. 



" From Silesia we have accounts 

 equally distressing as the above. 

 The rivers in that country swelled 

 by the heavy rains during three 

 days and nights became torrents. 

 They swept away houses, cattle, 

 and the standing crops. Nothing 

 escaped. Of the inhabitants above 

 6,000 have perished. Even the 

 operations of the contending armies 

 were impeded ; but it will be some 

 consolation to every patriotic Ger- 

 man to learn, that the ruin of the 

 French under Macdonald was acce- 

 lerated by these floods : that they 

 at once arrested his progress, and 

 cut off his retreat ; and that bj' 

 presenting the alternative of death 

 or imprisonment to his best troops, 

 they paved the way to the entire 

 liberation of Prussian Silesia from 

 the cruelties and exactions of the 

 enemy. 



" The travellers who have ar- 

 rived from Poland; declare that the 



